#72929692 / gettyimages.com Music vet and New Times scribe Lee Zimmerman offers his insights, opinions, and observations about the local scene. This week, looking back on the 30th anniversary of Miami Vice. With the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Miami Vice, who among us doesn’t feel a tug of…
It’s the final night of the 2014 Americana Music Festival and Conference, and the final event of a spectacular five day run. Lucinda Williams is about to begin a last minute invitation-only performance at the newly opened City Winery in Nashville. But first, Americana Music Association Executive Director Jed Hilly…
There have been any number of films about dysfunctional family reunions, with Madea’s Family Reunion, Meet the Fockers, Garden State, and Ordinary People among the many. Most involve some measure of comedy, although ultimately all tend to offer a special insight that any ordinary family can inevitably relate to, either…
Music vet and New Times scribe Lee Zimmerman offers his insights, opinions, and observations about the local scene. This week: A band consisting of (mostly) University of Miami students sets out to make its mark. At the tender age of 21, members of Loose Buttons have already built quite a career…
After the death of the Doors’ frontman, Jim Morrison, in a Paris bathtub in 1971, it was only natural that the three remaining members — late keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robbie Krieger, and drummer John Densmore — would attempt to carry on. It was also apparent that it would be…
There are several reasons why the Doors were the archetypical band of the late ’60s. A singular, shamanistic lead singer, for one; a unique, indelible sound that was magical, mystical and mesmerizing; and a career path that involved drugs, decadence, and the kind of drama that was intrinsic to the…
Deep Purple Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino August 31, 2014 Better than: Anyone might have had a right to expect. It took awhile before the crowd was treated to one of the most famous riffs in rock history, the one that goes “Dum dum duuuuum…..
After some 40 years of making music, you’d think Deep Purple would get a little more respect. This was the band that crafted one of the most indelible riffs in the entire rock ‘n’ roll idiom in the form of “Smoke on the Water.” It is required learning for any budding…
Music vet and New Times scribe Lee Zimmerman offers his insights, opinions, and observations about the local scene. This week: Local duo Chance Meyer and Nicole Noël take a traditional tack. Given South Florida’s decided lack of higher terrain (in the physical sense, that is), any music that takes its…
It’s rare to get a rock star on the phone at 9 a.m. on a Saturday. It’s even rarer when it’s actually an hour earlier where he is. Yet the phone rings, and there’s Toto’s veteran guitarist, singer, and songwriter Steve Lukather himself on the line, eager to dispel any…
There’s nothing quite so admirable as a group that not only survives, but thrives. So credit Yes with the wherewithal to continue building its brand some 45 years after it first formed. Indeed, Yes’ progressive profile remains as prominent as ever. Its new album, Heaven & Earth, deserves placement alongside…
Theatergoers looking for a night of lightweight entertainment are best advised to pass on the Parker Playhouse’s upcoming production of Hidden and opt instead for any of the dozens of musicals South Florida theaters offer on an ongoing basis. But while Hidden isn’t exactly an easy watch, it is timely,…
Theatergoers looking for a night of lightweight entertainment are best advised to pass on the Parker Playhouse’s upcoming production of Hidden and opt instead for any of the dozens of musicals South Florida theaters offer on an ongoing basis. But while Hidden isn’t exactly an easy watch, it is timely,…
It’s not easy to imagine a performer who goes from punk to populist and still manages to find a common thread in the way he connects with a crowd. Then again, not many artists boast the same amount of energy and enthusiasm as Michael Franti. Here’s a performer who literally…
Every city has had its scene at one time or another. In the ’60s, it was London; in the ’70s, New York; Boston ruled as far as the folk crowd was concerned, and today Austin and Nashville are at the essence of Americana. Nevertheless, the ’80s belonged to Los Angeles,…
It stands to reason that to brand itself effectively, a band must have a name that’s also subversive and memorable. During the initial flush of the British Invasion, parents were forced to ponder the meaning of band handles like the Beatles, Pretty Things, Zombies, the Kinks, and the Who (as…
Anyone who whines about the fact that South Florida has no change of season ought to bear one thing in mind: We do have at least two seasons — and sometimes, even three. The first extends six months, from June 1 to November 30 — an ungodly long portion of…
Music vet and New Times scribe Lee Zimmerman offers his insights, opinions, and observations about the local scene. This week: Rod MacDonald in his own words. Folk music has always been about social commentary, a sound that enlightens, entertains, and offers observations on politics, pitfalls, and society in general. It…
Happy Together Starring The Turtles (Flo & Eddie), Mark Farner, Gary Lewis, Chuck Negron, and Mitch Ryder Coral Springs Center for the Arts June 11, 2014 Better Than: Watching an old YouTube video At one time or another, we’ve all dreamed of living the life of a rock star, being…
Pardon the pun, but when you name your band the Front Bottoms, you’re leaving yourself open to become the butt of many jokes. Fortunately though, hewing to the norm has never been a major concern for Front Bottoms singer, songwriter, and guitarist Brian Sella or drummer and bandmate Matthew Uychich…
“Everybody loves a clown, so why don’t you?/A clown has feelings too…” — “Everybody Loves a Clown” by Gary Lewis and the Playboys In a way, that lyric — culled from one of the biggest songs of their career — describes the uncaring attitude accorded Gary Lewis and the Playboys…
Glen Phillips isn’t the type of person to put all his eggs in the proverbial single basket. One of the mainstays of the ’90s chart champs Toad the Wet Sprocket, he’s diversified his efforts into a solo career, a successful stint with the Americana super group of sorts WPA, and…
